Engage the Enemy
by Odekake
Summary: The return of an old, forgotten enemy triggers memories of another life and unresolved feelings within Shulk. Could you let go of a past that made you everything you are, and everything you hold dear for the present that seems to have far less promise?


Engage the Enemy

A/N: I felt like writing something Shulk/Robin related, so I decided to work on this one-shot. As for Arbutus, we're getting there and we're almost done with the next chapter. I haven't seen my co-author in a few days, though, so … uh …

Disclaimer: I don't own anything in this story. Also, this story contains rather big spoilers for Xenoblade and some for Fire Emblem: Awakening, so tread carefully.

~o~

It was supposed to be nothing more than a routine match at the Gaur Plains – a four-way bout between Shulk, Marth, Robin, and Link that would only last for five minutes. And when the battle had started, everything had proceeded as it normally did. Then night fell upon the Gaur Plains, and it became immediately obvious to all who were present in and observing the fight that something had gone wrong.

"Whatever you're doing, it looks _smashing_!"

The loud, unfamiliar voice drew everyone's attention to an object soaring across the night Gaur Plains sky. Shulk froze once he spotted it; eyes wide and his mouth open in a silent scream, releasing his grip on the Monado. No, it couldn't have been … but it was. There was no mistaking him.

"Fancy meeting you here, Monado Boy!" A maniacal cackle emanated from the metallic being as it landed, easily bridging the gap between the two elevated platforms. It towered over the four swordsmen, its size just as menacing as the claws that were attached to both ends of its arms and the laser-like object on its back. Its face bore a striking resemblance to a white theatre mask, the glowing eyes focused on one thing only – Shulk. "Did you miss me?"

"You … Metal Face." Shulk growled. The shocked expression on his face quickly turned to anger, and he retrieved the Monado from where it had fallen. The sound of a faint whir could be heard as Shulk activated the Monado's full power – something he'd never done in controlled matches. "What are you doing here?" he demanded.

"If there's one thing I like to see, it's carnage! I hope you don't mind if I join in!" And with those words, Metal Face released a powerful laser blast that destroyed much of the left side platform and caused it to collapse – where Link, Marth, and Robin had been. The three were fortunate enough to land on the smaller platforms below the larger one they'd been standing on, but Shulk hadn't noticed his companions' plight. He cared for nothing other than to slay this intruder who brought back so many painful memories.

"What's happening down there?" Mario's voice could be heard over the announcement system, calm and in-control despite the situation but a tinge of panic evident to all those who heard him. "Who is that guy?"

"I am not certain, but he appears to be an enemy of Shulk's," Marth replied as he helped Link to his feet. "Mario, this does not bode well. Robin just went to assist Shulk, but his attacks do not appear to have any effect on this thing!"

True to the prince's word, Robin's attempts to help were proving futile. The tactician had jumped into the fight once he'd recovered his momentum from the fall, ignoring Shulk's yelling at him to not interfere. Neither his magic nor his Levin Sword seemed able to dent Metal Face's body, much less harm him, but the foe was well aware of Robin's presence and seemed to delight in laughing at his misfortune.

"No good," Link confirmed, his eyes never leaving the battle that was unfolding before him. "Looks like only Shulk's sword can harm him. Which means that Marth and I won't be of use either. Mario, get us out of here. Shulk can't fend him off forever."

"We're trying to!" Pit shouted back, while incomprehensible whispers sounded in the background. "Something's not working right! It's not letting anyone leave or enter the stage!"

"Do you mean to say that we are stuck here?" Marth was on the verge of shouting, his princely grace and composure faltering in the face of problems he knew not how to even begin to handle. "What precisely is happening with the – oh no, Robin!"

It was over in an instant. Metal Face seemed to have grown tired of Robin's ineffective assault, and had struck him hard with a swipe of its claws – knocking him unconscious and towards Marth and Link, who were barely able to keep him from falling off the stage entirely. Shulk could only stare, horrified, as his best friend was sent flying – the sight of it was beginning to trigger something in his mind.

Metal Face turned back to Shulk and leered down at his arch nemesis. "Now the real fun begins, Monado Boy!"

But Shulk barely heard him, he could focus on nothing other than Robin – even from a distance he could see that the tactician was out cold although he couldn't tell how badly he'd been injured. The lines between reality and memory were starting to blur. Suddenly, he was no longer at the Gaur Plains but on Colony 9. He was watching the Mechon attack a homeland he'd never lived in and never personally held ties to.

He was reliving the moment Metal Face had killed Fiora – the first time he'd ever been consumed with a blind rage and a desire for revenge, even if he had never been present to witness that event; even if Fiora never existed, and never would exist, for him. The anger that his other self must have felt then flooded through his body, overriding all rational thought. And in that moment, Robin _was_ Fiora and Shulk could not make sense of what was real or what was memory. He no longer cared.

"I'll kill you!" he screamed, charging at Metal Face with the Monado in hand.

It was as if something inside him had snapped – hot anger was rushing through his body; all that he could see was red. Not even his visions could break the hold fury had on him. His attacks were quickly growing sloppier by the second, but Shulk was unaware of how badly his rage was affecting his combat. Metal Face, on the other hand, seemed to relish at how unbalanced his enemy had become – provoking him further with taunts.

"Oh, looks like Monado Boy's been practicing!" A shrill laugh sounded across the Gaur Plains, making Link and Marth wince. "What's wrong? You don't seem to be yourself right now!"

"Shut – up – shut up!" Shulk aimed the Monado at the Face Mechon's torso, intending to slice through it, only for Metal Face to intercept the blade with his claws. Shulk glared up at his hated foe, pushing back against Metal Face with all his might. "I won't let you hurt anymore people, and I'll make you pay for what you did to Fiora!"

"Fiora …? Who's Fiora?"

Marth and Link had been focused so intently on the battle between Shulk and Metal Face that they'd neglected to keep an eye on Robin. They both jumped and then turned to the tactician with identical expressions of guilt, but Robin wasn't paying attention to them. He'd only regained consciousness a few seconds prior, but had been able to sit up without needing any assistance. The look on his face was a strange mixture of concern, confusion, and pain. Shulk was shouting loud enough for everyone present on the stage or in the control room to hear.

"Robin, are you all right? How are you feeling?" Marth questioned him.

"I'm … I'm fine. Really. But who's …" Robin paused briefly, then he shook his head. "Never mind. Forget it." He would have to ask Shulk later who this Fiora was, but right now that was not a priority. Right now, Shulk was still in danger.

The blond swordsman was barely able to avoid a blow from his enemy's claws; the force of the resulting shockwave sent him reeling back. Normally, a vision would have warned him of the impending danger, but Shulk seemed to have forgotten that he could even see into the future. Picking up the Monado and rising to his feet, Shulk rushed towards Metal Face – running up the claws that were now stuck in the ground, heading for its face.

"_Die!_" Shulk thrust the Monado right through the Mechon's eye, clinging desperately to the hilt of the sword as the foe shrieked in pain and desperately tried to shake him – and the Monado – off. A flailing arm finally caught Shulk in the side, loosening the Monado from Metal Face's eye and sending both the weapon and its wielder plummeting below.

He could've sworn he'd heard a myriad of voices call out his name just as his head met solid terrain. Stars exploded into his vision, the world around him alternating between a blurry haze and darkness everywhere. Shulk was curled up on his side where he'd fallen, too dazed to move or realize what had just happened. He didn't notice Metal Face slowly draw closer, the gigantic shadow looming over him, never saw the Mechon draw its arm back and bring its claws plunging down –

A scream tore from his throat as the cold, sharp metal impaled his body. For a moment, all he knew was pain. But it was mercifully brief and fleeting – he'd expended most of his energy in his state of rage, and coupled with the blood loss it was growing harder to stay conscious or to even feel anything.

In his final seconds of awareness, he allowed his mind to drift towards _her_ once again – the reason for everything he was. "Fiora …" _Is this what it was like for you, when that thing took your life so long ago? How ironic … to find myself in the same situation that started our journey in the first place …_

Although Peach may have screamed louder than anyone else the moment Shulk had been stabbed, everyone who had witnessed it happen was shocked and horrified just as much as she was. Ike and Ness had been only two of many people who had shouted out Shulk's name, while Palutena and Rosalina had gasped out loud – Rosalina's hands flying to her mouth. Pit fainted right on the control panel that he was supposed to be fixing, leaving an annoyed and anxious Little Mac to move Pit out of the way while Dark Pit took over for his double. Mario's expression hardened and he immediately began to work twice as hard to find a way to get the four swordsmen out of Gaur Plains.

Link, Marth, and Robin could do nothing more than stare in aghast as their friend was cut down in front of them. But Link at least had the sense to stop Shulk's fall when Metal Face flung the wielder of the Monado from his claws, directly into the chasm in the center of the stage.

"Shulk! Can you hear us?" Marth shouted at him, pressing his gloved hands against the wound in Shulk's chest – hoping to slow the bleeding.

"He'll be all right." Link groaned softly as he massaged his aching back, directing a glare at Metal Face. "He shouldn't be able to die during a controlled battle … even if that metal guy isn't supposed to be here."

"Yeah, but … what are we supposed to do now?" Marth quickly withdrew his hands to unfasten his cape – folding it into a thick square and using it to soak up the blood from the wound. "That _thing_ is going to go after us now. We can't defend Shulk and ourselves when we can't even hurt it."

True to Marth's word, Metal Face was now approaching the trio of swordsmen, cackling maniacally with one of its claws raised. Their situation looked just as dark and bleak as the night on Gaur Plains.

"We'll have to do what we can." Link drew his sword and shifted into a defensive stance. "Mario, you guys keep working on getting us out of here!" he called to the other veteran. "Robin, you're a tactician, right? Do you have any ideas on how to slow this thing?"

But Robin hadn't heard anything Link had said; his attention was focused solely on Metal Face's claws – blood, Shulk's blood, coloring them red through and through. There was a hollowness in his chest, as if he had been the one impaled, and a cold feeling in the pit of his stomach.

His other self had fought many difficult battles – had seen the entire army through their ordeals safely, and he had never lost a single soldier under his command. In this world, where loss was of no consequence and wars did not exist, Robin had no need for such stressors. Neither he nor his other self had ever seen someone important to them nearly _die_ in such a gruesome manner. Suddenly, it wasn't matter of competition anymore – there were lives on the line again. Robin forced his tactician's composure into place. This thing had already hurt the person most important to him; he couldn't let him do any more damage.

Robin dropped to his knees by Shulk's side, lowering his head and looking down at his clenched fists. He had to think of a plan – but what? Partly hoping for an answer – partly hoping that Shulk had regained consciousness – Robin turned to look at his friend, and it was in that instant that he saw it – the Monado. It had somehow stayed firmly in Shulk's grip throughout his fall, just lying there as if daring him to try and wield it.

"Marth, you …" Robin reached for the Monado, carefully sliding it out of Shulk's hands and nearly dropping it in the process. "You and Link stay here and take care of Shulk. I'll use his sword to hold that thing off for as long as I can."

The prince opened his mouth as if to argue, then closed it again when he could find no logical reasons to go against his plan. Link, on the other hand, merely nodded with a grim look on his face. Once Robin was finally able to retrieve the Monado, he gripped its hilt in a firm, decisive hold.

It was as if he'd been struck by one of his Thoron spells – something he had experienced firsthand in a match against Mario once. He let out a cry of surprise as a pain that could only be described as the sensation of being electrocuted raced through his body, but he refused to release the sword. But the more Robin tried to assert control over the sword, the more it seemed to resist.

The Monado was actively trying to reject him.

It was in that moment that Robin recalled a conversation he'd had with Shulk a long time ago, before they'd become close. Robin had always been quite interested in the Monado – not only did it have a unique design, but it was also capable of far more than any sword, even the legendary blades of his world – and he'd asked Shulk if he could use it for a bit. Shulk had refused in a manner that had been hurtful then, but now Robin was beginning to understand. It wasn't that Shulk wouldn't allow anyone else to wield the Monado, but that no one else _could_ wield it besides him.

"Hey, Robin!" Link shouted to him, breaking the tactician out of his reverie. "Is there something wrong?"

"N-no …" Robin forced a smile on his face, trying to keep his discomfort from showing so as to not worry Marth and Link. "I just … didn't expect the Monado to have so much power is all. Keep Shulk safe for me, okay?"

And with those words, Robin threw himself at Metal Face with a loud cry – the Monado raised over his head. The Mechon was barely able to sidestep the attack, the end of the blade catching its shoulder. Robin grit his teeth as a jolt of pain surged through both his arms, and he loosened his grip on the Monado so that he was wielding it with only his right hand. The sword was not only heavier than it appeared, but also harder to control with only one arm.

Metal Face seized upon the window of opportunity that had opened up in that moment of distraction. He brought his claws down upon Robin, pinning him to the ground and trying to crush the life out of him. The tactician had just enough time to reposition the Monado so that it was the only thing between him and his enemy's claws, giving him just enough room to attempt an escape. And yet … being forced to look up at the claws soaked with his beloved's blood was making him feel lightheaded.

"What's the matter, boy? Can't seem to get ahold of that sword's power?" the Mechon sneered. "Ha! You're even less of a challenge than Monado Boy!"

Robin struggled under Metal Face's hold, tuning out the fiend's mocking words. But still, it spoke the truth – he had no idea how to use the Monado. It had always been easy to see how the sword worked for Shulk; its blade extended in the form of a blue beam of light when its rightful wielder fought. Robin found that he could not activate that light blade, much less the arts that enhanced Shulk's natural abilities. But he couldn't allow himself to lose and put the others in harm's way. He _had_ to find a way to activate the Monado's power.

Believing that he had won, Metal Face laughed as he continued pushing down on Robin. But then his laughter turned into a shout of pain, and he immediately withdrew his claws. Robin had managed to activate the Monado's extension blade, which he had used to stab Metal Face in the palm of its hand. He was breathing hard, trying to regain his composure after having nearly been flattened. And then, he was suddenly hit by another wave of pain – not just to his sword arm but to the rest of his body as well.

He doubled over and released the Monado, letting it fall to the ground beside him, but it did not stop the pain. Rather, it only got worse until Robin was curled up in the ground, screaming and clutching his arm. It was as if nothing else existed other than the searing, burning sensation that seized every fiber of his being.

The others could only stare, horrified, as Robin fell – incapacitated by the same weapon that was supposed to defeat their enemy. Link was at Robin's side in an instant, but there was not much that the Hylian could do to help. The surges of blue lightning surrounding Robin's arm were a deterrent to touching him as well; all Link could do was call out to the tactician, hoping that he would hear him and respond.

Marth had a grim look on his face as he watched the events unfold. Although Shulk was still unconscious, the bleeding had stopped and his breathing was stable, so he was in no danger – other than the danger that they were all still in. He hated feeling so helpless; he was a prince, and his sense of duty to protect his people was still strong in him, even if he were a prince of nothing in this world.

And then, with no warning or explanation, Metal Face folded himself up into a form that resembled an Arwing and zoomed off into the distance – nearly crashing into Marth and Shulk during his abrupt exit – leaving behind him a state of panic and confusion as the seemingly endless Gaur Plains night shifted into day.

*!*

_He was back home in Colony 9 – back home with all his friends and, most importantly, her. The fear, the anger, and the agony that their adventure had brought them all were but a thing in the past. At last, the old world had come to an end and a new one had only begun … they had brought peace back to the people._

_He and Fiora were sitting together by the water's edge in silence, merely content with the other's company and observing their friends' antics in the distance. Everything he had done, it had been for her. They turned to face one another, smiling as their fingers slowly intertwined, and Fiora opened her mouth to speak to him –_

"Are you _sure_ he's all right? It's been five days already and he's still not awake."

The world around him disappeared in an instant – dissolving into darkness, which was then quickly replaced by a white, piercing light. Shulk sat up and threw an arm over his eyes to shield them, groaning at his rude awakening. It wasn't until he could see again that Shulk realized he was in the clinic – and with that realization came the reality of his situation. He was never at Colony 9, and he had never been with the friends of his other self. For a moment, he felt the bitter sense of disappointment but it was quickly replaced by confusion when he saw Ike, Ness, and Mario staring at him in concern.

"Shulk?" Ike spoke first, poking his friend in the shoulder as if to test whether he were truly conscious. "How are you feeling?"

"I … I don't know." Shulk pushed his blankets aside, his bewilderment only growing when he saw the bandages wrapped around his chest. "What happened? Why am I here?"

"You don't remember?" Ness asked, exchanging a look with Mario. "We were hoping you could tell us."

"Yes, ah, you see, there was … an incident," Mario piped in. He rubbed the back of his neck, seeming to be very uncomfortable and refusing to meet Shulk's gaze directly. "You were at the Gaur Plains during a match. This … metal thing came out of nowhere and it attacked everyone there. You seemed to, well, be familiar with it?"

Ah, yes, Metal Face. The memories of what had happened came flooding into his mind in an instant, but his recollections of what Metal Face had done to Fiora came first, burned most strongly in his mind.

"He is an enemy from my world who has caused much pain, not only for me but to those I care most about," Shulk said, his voice tinged with cold anger. "But we defeated him a long time ago. I don't know how he got here." He turned to Ike, who was less secretive than either Mario or Ness. "What happened with him anyway?"

Ike shrugged. "I don't know how much you remember of the fight, but you were the only person who could so much as scratch him. Marth, Link, and Robin couldn't get past that thing's armor. And I doubt Ragnell would've either, which is kind of ironic since in my world Ragnell was one of the only weapons that could pierce through blessed armor," Ike muttered, reminiscing on his other self's journeys. He continued to stare into the distance, lost in his own memories, until he noticed the others glaring at him. "Oh, sorry, got a bit distracted there. Anyway … you sort of went berserk, Shulk, and then you got stabbed in the chest. We were all really worried."

So that explained the bandages. Shulk brought his hand up to his wound and found that it did not hurt at all – it had healed over completely. He was extremely fortunate, especially considering that _she_ had been in the same situation before, and had not been as lucky as he.

With a sigh, Shulk rose from the bed and reached for his sweater, which was draped over a nearby chair. "So, how did you all manage to get rid of Metal Face?" he asked, pulling the garment on over his head.

A tense silence descended upon the room, and it was then that Shulk realized the others were hiding something from him – something bigger than Metal Face. Turning to them with an annoyed expression on his face, Shulk repeated his question and waited for one of three to respond.

"Shulk, the Monado …" Mario began, after a lengthy pause. "What exactly is its power? Is it something accessible only to you?"

"I … well, in my world, I am the only person who could use it safely," Shulk replied, taken aback by the strange question. "There is a reason, but not one I'd rather get into unless it's important. Why do you ask?"

"Because the Monado was the only thing capable of hurting that Metal Face guy," Ness said, once it became apparent that Mario was not able to continue. "We all noticed it. So after you were stabbed, Robin had the idea of trying to fight that guy using the Monado –"

_Robin_. Shulk immediately felt guilt crushing down upon him – he had all but forgotten about the tactician in the sudden onslaught of his memories and feelings for Fiora. How was he to explain any of this to Robin? It was a rather complicated mess that even Shulk did not truly understand himself. On the one hand, Fiora made him who he was; she was the reason he had done everything he had, and she was important to him. But on the other hand, she was not _real_ in this world – nor would she and his other friends ever be real for him – and he shared a close bond with Robin, although Shulk was now questioning just how strong that bond really was. And … had Ness just said Robin had tried to wield the Monado?

"That was a foolish thing to do." The words flowed out of his mouth, almost against his will. They sounded so cold and detached, what was wrong with him to speak of Robin in such a manner? "He could've been hurt."

"He _did_ get hurt," Ike cut in, the irritation and impatience evident in his tone. "He kept it under his control long enough to chase off that thing until it fled on its own, but he's been paralyzed from it. He hasn't been able to leave his room since. Shulk … how dangerous is the Monado anyway? No one wanted to risk touching it after what it did to Robin, we had to get Ness to bring it here with telekinesis."

"It's … complicated." Shulk picked up his vest, which had been folded neatly and placed on the chair, only to find the Monado laying underneath. When he was finished dressing himself, he picked up his sword and faced the others. "I'll explain everything to you in detail, since I've caused this mess we're in, but for now I'm going to go talk to Robin."

"Yeah, you should go to him," Ness agreed. "I'm sure he's dying to know who Fiora is. Hey, don't glare at me! I haven't been reading your mind!" The young psychic threw his hands up when Shulk stared at him in shock. "You mentioned her out loud! I wouldn't be surprised if everyone who was watching that match is wondering who she is."

"Speaking of matches," Mario interrupted, "they've all been canceled due to that Metal Face guy showing up. So don't go into any of the simulation rooms! We're making sure that a repeat of your match doesn't happen again."

"Right. That's great," Shulk muttered as he stormed out of the clinic.

Ness's revelation had not improved his state of mind at all; rather, it told him just how much worse things really were. It was bad enough that he'd all but forgotten about Robin once Metal Face had triggered the recollections of his other life, but to know that Robin was also aware of it and probably feeling that Shulk cared more about a memory that he did for him – how was he supposed to even begin to salvage the bond between them, if it hadn't already been lost?

How was he supposed to explain the extent of his feelings for someone who didn't even exist?

*!*

Robin stared up at the ceiling, silently counting the seconds that ticked by – it was all that he could do. It had been almost a week since that incident at the Gaur Plains, and yet the aftereffects of wielding the Monado persisted. He couldn't move his body at all; his right arm still ached and he feared that he would never be able to use it again.

The physical pain was nothing compared to the emotional turmoil he felt, however. It was almost overwhelming just how much had transpired – how much Shulk had been hiding from everyone … and from him. He rarely spoke about his old world, not that Robin had really asked him to after the first time, and always seemed to keep to himself. Shulk was always secretive, but Robin hadn't minded because he figured that it was just a part of his personality. But now –

He didn't know who Fiora was, but it was obvious that she was someone very important to Shulk's other self – perhaps even more important than he was to Shulk, considering his reaction. It was more than a little hurtful to know that Shulk hadn't been fighting for him but on behalf of another, that he was only second compared to a mere memory.

But that wasn't the worst of it. What had unsettled Robin just as much as Fiora was the sheer rage that Shulk had shown during his fight against Metal Face. Robin hadn't been attracted to the other swordsman when they'd first met; he'd considered him a powerful ally and worthy opponent, nothing more. But then they'd become close, and Robin was drawn to his kind and gentle nature; his unwavering resolve and determination to ensure a future where all had the freedom to make their own choices – a defiance of preordained destiny that rivaled Chrom's. Robin had never felt so strongly for anyone before, and it'd taken him some time to muster the courage to tell Shulk how he felt.

Shulk had told him then that Robin reminded him of someone from his own world as well … but he hadn't specified who or why. Had he been speaking of Fiora? Was it the reason Shulk was with him to begin with? Between his doubts and a side of his beloved that he'd never known to exist, Robin wasn't sure where things stood anymore.

Just then, there was a soft knock at the door – the sound pulling him from his unpleasant thoughts. "It's open," he called out.

The person outside his room didn't enter right away. A few seconds went by before the door was slowly pushed open, and Robin immediately regretted his decision once he saw whom it was. Shulk – the one person whom he couldn't deal with right now. What was he supposed to say? What was there to say? And yet, he felt a sense of relief in his chest at seeing him well and about, back to the gentle person he really was. Despite everything, Robin still loved him.

"It's you," he finally said. It had seemed like an eternity, forcing out those two simple words. "Are you … all right?"

"I should be asking you that," Shulk replied, as he sat down at Robin's bedside. "I heard that you tried to use the Monado after I was knocked out."

"So you know, then." Robin averted his eyes and returned his gaze to the ceiling. It was embarrassing for him to admit that he hadn't been worthy of wielding the Monado, and even more embarrassing to have Shulk know that.

"The Monado … most people are incapable of using it, and it's dangerous to anyone who tries," Shulk said, his voice soft and full of concern. "My mentor, Dunban, lost use of his right arm because of it. You … you look worse than he ever did. Can you move?"

"No." Robin let out a frustrated sigh. "I can still feel its power rejecting me. My arm … it hurts so much. Shulk, am I ever going to be able to wield a sword again?"

"I …" Shulk hesitated, not wanting to lie but not knowing what the truth was either. "I can't say. But if you weren't using the Monado for long, it should have long-term effects. I hope. You'll probably just need some time to recover."

Robin nodded in acknowledgement, not fully satisfied with the answer but relieved that the damage may not be permanent. A thick silence fell upon the pair – neither wanting to, nor knowing how to, discuss the main issue between them. Shulk ran his fingers through Robin's hair almost absentmindedly as he stared out the window, while Robin closed his eyes and waited for Shulk to bring up the subject first. He didn't.

"Fiora," the tactician finally said, after several long minutes went by with no indication of the silence breaking anytime soon. "Who is she, Shulk?"

And there it was, the question Shulk had been dreading but knew that he couldn't avoid forever. "Fiora is –" He paused, a distant look in his eyes as he allowed himself to recall the memories, fingers involuntarily gripping around the white locks. "She's _everything_ to me – or, well, my other self."

"Y-yes, I could've figured that out." Robin winced as Shulk's hold on his hair tightened, pushing the other's hand away when it became unbearable. "I'm asking what makes her so special. If …" _If she means more to you than I ever could._

"It's … complicated." Tapping the fingers of his right hand against his knee, Shulk tried to find the words to explain. "We grew up together, have known one another for most of our lives. Then, one day, the Mechon attacked my hometown. Metal Face – the thing that interrupted our match – he killed her. He … killed her, and I couldn't do anything to stop him, even though I foresaw it happening." Shulk took a deep breath, and then went on, "I thought of nothing but revenge. My friend, Reyn, and I left our home to destroy the Mechon once and for all. What happened next … is difficult to explain and a story for another time. What's important is that if not for Fiora, I would not be the person I am today. She means everything to me – my alternate self," he quickly amended once he saw the expression on Robin's face – barely concealed irritation masking utter despair. "Robin, you're also important to me! It's just … this world doesn't make any sense, you know? We're not real. All our memories of people and events from our past, they don't actually belong to us and yet we feel them just as strongly as the people we were created from do. Surely in your world there is someone you've left behind as well?"

"My world?" Robin repeated. He focused his glare on the wall opposite of Shulk, so that he wouldn't have to make eye contact. "Lucina and I have friends and family in our world, that much is true. I've seen many of my companions fall in love, get married and meet their future child – but not me. I don't remember anything of my past before I met Chrom – I still don't – and I've never had feelings for anyone in my world … nothing to the extent that I feel for you."

"Oh." That was all Shulk could say; nothing else seemed to suffice. To say that his and Robin's situations were complicated would be a massive understatement – in a way, they were almost opposite. It took several long minutes until he was able to speak again. "Are you … upset with me? I understand if you are, but … I just want you to know that you're important to me."

"Mm, I'm not exactly … upset, but I don't know what this means. For us, I mean," Robin said. "You're still in love with Fiora, I can tell. Maybe you didn't realize it yourself until now. So … what does that mean for us?"

"It means nothing, why should it?" Shulk argued fiercely. "It'll take some time until I'm fully adjusted to this world, before I can fully separate my memories from the reality, but why does this have to affect us?"

"Shulk. Could I ever truly replace Fiora in your heart?" Robin asked matter-of-factly. "I don't know if I can. Real or not, it sounds to me as if the bond your other self shared with her is just too strong for anyone to break."

"That might be true, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to try," Shulk said. "It's not fair to you if I can't let go of a previous life that was never mine. And … I need to realize that my place is here now – in this world, and with you. I'm not going to let anyone hurt you again. Which is why I need to find Metal Face and finish him off. And next time I'll be ready for him."

It was not closure, and perhaps he would never truly have it. But for now, it was enough. Robin said nothing as Shulk began examining his arm, to see for himself the extent of the damage the Monado had inflicted, and tried to put his worries out of his mind. He'd never failed to overcome any obstacle in his path as Chrom's tactician, so he had to believe that the same held true for his personal affairs. Besides … if Shulk were determined to fight his arch nemesis again, he would need a plan. And Robin couldn't think of anyone more qualified than he for the task.

Metal Face was merely the first of many challenges in their path, but Robin felt that they would overcome all that stood in their way – together.

~o~

A/N: I'm bad at romance, I don't know why I even tried. The ending's kind of rushed, and I apologize for that, but it's not going to get any better if I hold onto it longer, and I am concerned that both Shulk and Robin are both OOC. I welcome all suggestions on how to improve, and I hope this was enjoyable at least. (Time to go back to battle scenes, which I am better at.)


End file.
